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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · key · pound · swing · pitch · ball · foot · fine

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pit — a hole
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. key — in music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. swing — music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com